The Irish Genius Summary

An unnamed critic considers a poem called "Beyond Ichor," by fictional Irish poet Sean O'Shawn. The critic suggests that O'Shawn, his work infamous for being difficult to grasp, can only truly be understood in the context of his life. What follows is a poem that seems, on the surface at least, a chaotic ramble of poetic pretense. Interspersed throughout are the names, disconnected images, and situations without context, references to unknown events, and the odd mythological allusion.

The critic performs a line-by-line close reading of the poem, seizing primarily on the many names present throughout the text, explaining who each person is and explaining what he or she meant to the author. O'Shawn was fond of sailing but afraid of sharks. He refers to the man who encouraged his poetry and two mentally slow twins. He lived in a...